Fire breaks out on Istanbul island housing Halki Seminary

Written By THA on Sunday, 17 June 2012 | 17:00

Firefighters were struggling to contain a fire that broke out on Istanbul's Heybeliada today, daily Hürriyet reported.

The fire was burning out of control but the flames did not pose a threat to the Halki Seminary, the mayor of Istanbul's Adalar district has told the broadcaster NTV.

The flames were reportedly spreading quickly due to strong winds, which also hampered firefighting efforts.

The fire reportedly started in a forested area on the island.

The Halki Seminary has been hit hard by the political turmoil between Turkey and Greece. In 1971, Turkey decided to bring all private institutions of higher education under state control. The Fener Greek Patriarchate opposed the decision, in consequence of which the seminary was shut down. (Istanbul-Hurriyet Daily News)